Father Time eventually sends every athlete a message that it's time to hang it up. He is, after all, undefeated.
For some, it's the subtle aches and pains that come with getting older. But for others, the message is more clear.
Former Warrior David West played his final two seasons in Golden State, and it became clear during a game against the Los Angeles Lakers that his time in the NBA was over. How did he know? Well, his inability to post-up Josh Hart gave him a clue.
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SIGN UP HERE "But then, my last couple years in Golden State, a lot like Etan and Chamique said, you feel the difference," West told BasketballNews.com. "One night we were playing in Philly and it was cold, and Steve [Kerr] was like, 'Yo, you've gotta guard [Joel] Embiid tonight, big dawg.' I'm 37. I'm like, 'Oooooh... okay.' I get out there -- and you know, when you're young, you've gotta feel guys, you've got to bump them. [Trying to do that at 37], I'm like, 'Oh no. Nah, nah.' Even during that game, I'm like, 'If I get tangled up with this dude the wrong way, this dude could rip my whole back outta whack.
"So there was that game, and then there was another game my last year [where I felt that way]. We played the Lakers and it was cold. When you're over 6-foot-6 and in cold weather, getting warm is just a struggle. I couldn't get warm the whole day -- shootaround, massage after shootaround, my body wouldn't loosen up. During the game, I tried to post up Josh Hart a couple times because he got me early. He jumped right up under me, he got up under me early and I couldn't post him up. Literally during the game, I'm like [telling myself], 'Yo, if you can't move this cat, you gotta go. It took all day just trying to get your body [warm] and it wouldn't do it. It's time.'
"So there were instances like that. We went in and played against Giannis [Antetokounmpo] and I'm like, 'Yo, you have no business being out here [with Giannis]. It's time, D-West. It's time.' That was really it for me."
It's always good to be honest with yourself and not stay past your expiration date.
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While athletes like Tom Brady and LeBron James try to defy time, most come to terms with their career morality when the time is right.
West had a solid NBA career, playing 15 seasons for four different franchises and winning two titles with the Warriors.
But when you are a 6-foot-9, 250-pound power forward who can't back-down a smaller defender, it's probably time to call it a day.